Gastrointestinal Flashcards
What causes woody tongue?
Actinobacillosis
What causes lumpy jaw?
Actinomyces bovis
Where does the abomasum normally sit?
Lower/mid right caudal abdomen
When do most cases of left displace abomasum occur? What may increase risk?
Within a month of parturition with heavy grain diets with low fibre increasing the risk.
What is the salient feature of LDA?
Ping over 9th to 12 rib
How may you correct an LDA?
Rolling
Surgically (good response) - right paralumba fosa ometopexy, left paralumbar fossa omentopexy/abomasopexy, right paramedian abomasopexy
What is the salient features of a right displaced abomasum +/- volvulus
Ping in area just cranial to right paralumbar fossa, about 15-29cm in diameter. Ping area will be much larger with volvulus. Distension of upper right flank, abomasum palpable per rectum.
What biochemical changes may you see in an RDA?
Metabolic alkalosis, hypochloraemia and hypokalalaemia
How may you correct a RDA?
Medical - Spasmolytic drugs and calcium.
Surgical - right flank ometopexy / pyloropexy, paramedian abomasopexy, excess gas removed and abomasum repositioned.
What classes of animals is abomasal ulceration seen in?
High producing dairy cows, feedlot cattle, veal calves, bucker reared calves
Calves on fibre, cows on concentrates
What are the 4 manifestations of abomasal ulceration?
Subclinical
Intraluminal haemorrhage
Perforation and local peritonitis
Perforation with diffuse, septic peritonitis
What causes simple indigestion?
Any sudden dietary changes (or antibiotic administration) that causes an upset in rumen microflora.
What is the difference between primary and secondary bloat?
Primary - lush feed causes froth which traps gas and prevents eructation.
Secondary - Physical or functional defect in eructation of free gas.
How can you treat non life threatening primary bloat?
Drench with anti-foaming agent - pluronic or alcohol ethoxylate-based bloat drench, paraffin, mineral or vegetable oil
How can you treat life threatening primary bloat with mouth breathing, protrusion of tongue and the tendency to lie down?
Emergency rumenotomy
What measures can be taken to help prevent primary bloat?
- Gradually introduce to risky pastures
- Oral admin of: antifoaming agents, detergents and fermentation modifers eg monesin
- Select for bloat safe pastures and bloat tolerant cattle
How may passing a stomach tube help find the cause of bloat?
Tube easily, no gas - frothy bloat
Tube won’t pass - oesophageal obstruction
Tube with difficulty, gas - oesophageal compression/distortion of cardia
Tube easily, gas - hypocalcaemia, ruminal stasis, failure to clear cardia, tetanus, rumenitis, weakened contractions due over-distension of rumen
What is the normal rumen pH?
Greater or equal to 6 (ish)
What is the aetiopathogeneses of (per)acute rumen acidosis?
Sudden, unaccustomed ingestion of large quantities of carb rich feeds -> VFA produced -> dec pH -> rumen dominated by acid tolerant, lactic acid producing G+ bacteria (Strep bovis, Lactobacillus spp) -> accumulation of lactic acid in rumen -> pH drops further -> rumen stasis and bloat -> Lactate inc rumen fluid osmolarity -> Pulls fluid from tissues -> dehydration -> lactate absorbed into circulation -> metabolic acidosis
Describe some of the clinical signs of (per) acute rumen acidosis?
Anorexia, dullness, weakness and ataxia. Signs of colic and tooth grinding. Increasing HR, decreased rumen motility, rumen distension with fluid-splashing on ballottement. Rumen contents is milky green/brown in colour with a pH of less than 5. Perfuse, foul-smelling diarrhoea, possibly with whole grains. Dehydration and nervous signs.
How do you treat (per)acute rumen acidosis?
Administer alkalinising agents such as MgO, Mg(OH)2 using a stomach tube - 1 g/kg diluted in 5-10 litres of warm water repeated every 12 hours at a reduced rate of 0.25-0.5 g/kg. Free access to good quality grass hay. Rumenotomy and rumen lavage in severe cases.
Injection of 5-10 million units of procain penicillin into rumen, systemic procaine penicillin, thiabendazole (antifungal), thiamine hydrochloride (Vit B1) to preven polioencephalomalacia, NSAIDS, Calcium if hypocalcaemic. Rumen transfaunation.
What does SARA stand for?
Subacute rumen acidosis
What are some herd signs of SARA?
Intermittent diarrhoea, often with undigested food particles. Lowered milk fat %, lowed cud chewing, increased lameness and greater than 30% of cows sampled have rumen pH of
What causes putrefaction of rumen contents? How common is this?
Rare condition
Adults - consume spoilt feed or ingest placenta
Calves - gulp milk from buckers and ends up in rumen
What are the consequences of putrefaction of rumen contents?
Severe digestive upset, anorexia, rumen stasis and distension, foul-ammonia odour from rumen and severe rumen alkalosis
What may muffled heart sounds or fluid-splashing sounds over the heart, with distention of the jugular veins and oedema indicate?
Traumatic reticulo-pericarditis
What shaped abdomen would you expect with vagus indigestion?
“Papple”
What heart rate is characteristic of vagus indigestion?
Bradycardia - less than 50 bpm
How may vagus indigestion be classified?
- Obstruction of oesophagus or cardia with accumulation of free gas in rumen
- Failure of omasal transport
- Failure of abomasal outflow with reflus of HCl into the rumen
What sort of rumen contractions would you here for vagus indigestion? What is the normal rate?
Frequent (3-6/min) but weak. Normal is 1-3/min and strong.
What is the pathogenic stage of paramphistomes?
immature parasites migration through upper small intestine and abomasum
What animals are you likely to see rumen fluke associated pathology?
Young - age related immunity develops
How do you perform an emergency rumenotomy?
Stab with large gauge needle (14G) or with sharp narrow bladed knife on the left flank, an open hand’s width behind the last rib and a hand below the lumbar vertebrae. Should be sutured.
What are the presenting signs of an intussusception?
Sudden reduction of milk yield, colic, early pain but lessens. Small amounts of faeces at first with some blood, then only blood stained mucus or dark, clotted blood. Right abdomen enlargement.
How do you treat an intussusception?
May carry poor prognosis.
Bowel clamps to occlude intestinal lumen, resect affected portion, rejoin using simple interrupted crushing sutures - tie tightly.
Grey yellow faeces that are pasty and foul smelling (inspissated mayonnaise) is pathognomonic for what?
Intestinal Phytobezoar
What clinical signs do you see in a cow with caecal dilation/torsion?
Anorexia, mild abdominal pain, distended right flank, right flank ping, decreased faeces.
What are the presenting signs of jejunal haemorrhage syndrome and what is the postulated cause?
Sudden, severe sickness with complete anorexia, severe milk production drop with right sided abdominal distension and dark, bloody faeces. Clostridium perfringens type A +/- Aspergillus fumigatus has been indicated in disease.
How much fluid can you expect to retrieve from a healthy cow on abdomenocentesis?
1-5 mL of straw coloured fluid.
What is an appropriate antibiotic for peritonitis?
Oxytetracylines
What can cause left sided abdominal distension in calves?
Chronic rumenitis, ruminal drinker, acidosis, impaction of rumen, abomasal ulceration with reflux into rumen, LDA
What can cause right sided abdominal distension in calves?
Right dilation or volvulus of abomasum, abomasal bloat syndrome, intestinal torsion/obstruction or intussusception
How do you treat actinomycosis?
Sodium iodide IV, Penicillin, oxytet, ceftiofur etc etc
Surgical drainage/debridement??
Poor prognosis for recovery, culling may be best option
How do you treat actinobacillosis?
Sodium iodide IV or diluted s/c (not in preg)
If preg - ocytet, TMS etc
